


one shots

by silenciumspiritum



Category: Silent Witness (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:14:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silenciumspiritum/pseuds/silenciumspiritum
Summary: Wanted to have a place for all my little one shots and drabbles ...
Relationships: Nikki Alexander & Jack Hodgson, Nikki Alexander/Jack Hodgson
Kudos: 7





	1. “...why do you do it?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack teaching Nikki how to box...

“Why do you do it?” Nikki asked causing him to jump.

Jack glanced over his shoulder, she was stood in the middle of the doorway, her body leaning against the frame. He placed his hand against the bag to stop it from moving so he could look in her direction properly.

“Do what?” He replied, his chest rising and falling.

“Does it make you feel better?” She pushed, half ignoring what he had said as she stepped forward, tucking her hands into her jean pockets. “In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never gotten to the bottom of why you do it. You once said it was release, but release from what?”

“How long have you got?” Jack chuckled, not missing how his heart rate was beginning to pick up the closer she stepped towards him. He could feel the bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. He started peeling off his gloves, using his teeth to pull at the velcro, his eyes never leaving hers. He grinned as he watched her breath hitch. He slowly walked over to her, placing the gloves in her hands. “Why don’t you have a go? You might find out what it feels like?”

Nikki furrowed her brows, quickly looking down at her clothes before looking back up at him and catching his eye, “I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion Jack.”

He just shrugged, that smirk never leaving his face, “It’s not like you to give up so easily Dr Alexander.”

“Fine,” she almost felt her back straighten up, not wanting to let Jack win otherwise she’d never live it down. She managed to get the one glove over her hand but she could feel him watching her, laughing as she struggled with the second. They were too big for her, Jack’s hands being four times the size of her own but she tried not to let it bother her.

She felt her stomach flutter as Jack’s skin brushed against hers, helping her to fasten the velcro tight against her wrist. She winced but not out of pain but from the way she had felt Jack’s breath crawl across her cheek. She took a step back, the air thick around them. They hadn’t been like this for a long time, just the two of them, flirting at every given opportunity. It reminded her of past times before everything else got in the way.

“How do I do it then?” She questioned, her temperature already increasing despite the lack of exercising going on. The goosebumps on her arm tingled as he took hold of her shoulders and pushed her in the direction of the bag. He stopped her just in front of it but he didn’t move from behind her. All Nikki had to do was lean back slightly and she would be able to feel his body pressed into hers, the thought anticipating her but she remained where she was.

She shivered as his hands moved down her arms before dropping them, “Think of something that makes your blood boil. Something that you’ve always wanted to scream at and let all your anger out at but you’ve never had the opportunity,” he kept his voice low, an almost whisper.

Nikki nodded, digesting all the information. Her mind had instantly shot to thoughts of her father, of everything that he had put her through. From the way he had treated her mother as a child, to the way he had left them with no money. The day she had been brought over to England after her mother passed away from all the stress, the days she just longed to be held by her mother. Her father turning up out of the blue all over again and pretending as though nothing had happened.

She let that frustration fill her body, psyching herself up. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths before bringing her hands up in the position she had seen Jack do many times. Her eyes opened once again and she took the first hit. The sound of her glove hitting against the bag, bouncing around the room. Jack had taken a step back, watching the bag swinging aggressively.

“You sure pack a punch,” he scoffed, surprised at how much power had come out of the small woman. A quick reminder that she wasn’t someone to be messed with. Although he supposed that he should have learnt that years ago. He stood amazed as he continued to watch her, every punch on time. He could see her growing tired quickly and she was losing her breath. “Alright, alright you can stop now,” he spoke, moving to stand in between Nikki and the bag.

Nikki stepped back, her chest expanding and the breaths escaping her mouth, she could feel the sweat forming as she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead.

“How was that?” Jack smirked.

“Good,” Nikki smiled back at him, she felt lighter almost, despite not having anything on her mind when she had come down here in the first place. “I can see why you do it now. I feel different.”

“Well maybe we should do it more often,” Jack reached out, taking hold of her hand and pulling at the strap. The glove slipped off. “Although, we should probably get you some gloves that actually fit you.”

Nikki chuckled at that, feeling her heart race at his fingers brushing across her palm. She didn’t know what came over her as she placed her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart beating underneath it and she didn’t miss how his breath had caught in his throat. Her lips twitched as she glanced up at him, their eyes meeting in the middle.

Her hand carefully travelled up his chest but her movements were stilled as his hand wrapped around her wrist, trapping her there. He looked down as he brought her other hand up towards him, his teeth pulling at the strap, the velcro ripping. Now she was free, her hand moved to rest on his side, closing that small gap between them.

Jack leaned forward, their faces inching closer together. He could feel her breath tickling his upper lip. He didn’t have much time to think as Nikki captured his lips with hers. His hand moving to the back of her neck, his fingers settling in her blonde hair. He moved, backing her up against the wall. He heard the thud of her body and the moan that escaped her mouth, all the blood rushing to his head.

He could feel the ache beginning at the back of his neck. Their height difference starting to become a problem, his hands travelled down her sides before he was bending his knees so he could hook his hands under her thighs. He lifted her up seamlessly as her legs wrapped around his torso. They parted for a moment, Nikki’s hands cupping his face, her eyes flicking between his lips and his eyes. This was the last thing she had expected to happen when she came down here, she had only wanted to talk to him. Feeling lonely in the office all on her own.

She closed that gap between them again, wanting to feel his lips on hers. This had been building up for days, every little touch and stare that lasted too long. But if she really thought about it, it had been building up for years. Everything they had been through, they were always heading here. She had tried to block it out for so long, to not let herself fall for her friend and colleague again. Yet here she was. His whole weight squishing her against the wall, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jack on the other hand, had been dreaming of this moment since the first time he had set eyes on her. She’d been like a whirlwind in his life and he had never expected to fall in love. When he first met her, she’d caught his attention, he had worked with many pathologists over the years but none of which were quite like Nikki. None so driven. None so absolutely breathtaking. She was magnificent, a genius. He loved everything about her.

He pulled away from her, his lips moving to kiss along her jawline before reaching the crook of her neck. His teeth nipping at her flesh, he could hear her whimpering and he thought he was going to explode for the adrenaline surging around his body. His mind kicking in that this probably wasn’t the best place to let things get too far.

He didn’t have much time to think about that as he heard a door slamming in the distance, Jack was quick to lift his head, his eyes in the direction of the disturbance. He looked back at Nikki, grins on both of their faces as they started chuckling. Nikki put her hand to her mouth as Jack lowered her back down to the floor. She pushed her head into his chest as he wrapped his arm around her.

She could hear the footsteps approaching them as she moved back from Jack and fixed her hair, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious that she had pushed up against the wall and had Jack leaving marks on her neck. As she turned back to the doorway her brows furrowed, an unfamiliar figure stood in the doorway.

“Sorry I was looking for Dr Alexander?” The man spoke. “Someone mentioned that she might be down here.”

“That’s me,” Nikki stepped forward, concern all over her face. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Dr Adam Yuen, the new pathologist,” he held his hand out for Nikki to shake but all she could do was look back at Jack in complete shock.


	2. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I rewatched the episode “Lost” recently and couldn’t get the idea of Jack meeting Nikki there long before he started at the Lyell.

Yorkshire. That was the first time he seen her. He didn’t realise it for a long time. Then one day something switched in his brain and he could remember that day as if it was yesterday. 

He had been called out to help with a dig, some bones had been found on the moors. They were in the middle of excavation when a man and a woman arrived. The man had caught his attention first, his eccentric look causing him to stifle a laugh. But then the woman stood next to him he was surprised at. She didn’t look as though she belonged here, although her “Don’t call me your assistant,” made him quickly realise this wasn’t someone to mess with. So maybe she did belong here. 

He wasn’t normally one to be taken back by someone but she had really caught his attention. He couldn’t get her off his mind for the rest of the day, she had sparked something in the pit of his stomach which he hadn’t felt since Chrissie. He didn’t even speak to her. Just admired her from afar. But she was so captivating and he had wished that he would get to see her again. 

But she never came back, her visit fleeting. That was until he came to the Lyell and he had heard her bringing a detective down a peg or two and it clicked. She was the beautiful woman he had met on Bleaklow Moors all those years ago. 

* * *

She recognised him straight away, never one to forget a face. She didn’t suppose that he would remember her though, it had been so long ago now. 

That day was still fresh in her mind, the excitement of going to an excavation. She had been a pathologist for most of her life but nothing would ever come close to the thrill she’d get from a find. She had caught his eye when she arrived with Patrick, his white suit covering all but his face. But that didn’t matter, his dark green eyes had enticed her enough. 

She’s felt that familiar flutter in her stomach and she was more than intrigued by this mystical man. Almost made her forget what she was there for in the first place. She didn’t miss the smirk on his face when she said “Don’t call me your assistant.” 

But then reason why she had travelled all the way to Yorkshire kicked in and she soon forgot about him. And when she never went back, he’d left her mind. Until she bumped into him at a crime scene in a hotel room and everything came back to her. He was the mysterious man she had met on Bleaklow Moors all those years ago. 


	3. christmas

Jack glanced up, hearing the buzzer sounding off from the door. He pulled his eyebrows together, they hadn’t been expecting anyone and Nikki wasn’t rushing out to see who it was either so it couldn’t have been important. Shaking his head he stood, walking into the hallway. Shocked to see who it was standing behind the glass. Moving forward, he clicked the button at the side and opened the door.

“Da?” He spoke. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Conor smiled at his son but his eyes were looking elsewhere as if he was trying to find someone else, “I’m looking for Nikki,” he breathed, pushing his way past Jack.

“Nikki? Why?” Jack asked, an incredulous look on his face.

“I need to talk to her,” he started. Disappointment written all over him as he failed to spot the blonde haired woman. “Where is she?”

“She’s in her office,” Jack pointed in the direction of the room that now belonged to Nikki. It was still something he was trying to get used to. It was strange not having her sat opposite him anymore and quite frankly, he was starting to get lonely sat out by himself. Although that was only when he was sat at his desk, most of his time was actually spent in Nikki’s office. He guided his dad towards the room.

Conor glanced at his son, “Thank you,” he brushed him off with a hand. Jack went to open his mouth to speak but he couldn’t think of the words as he stared back at his father. He almost wanted to laugh and to ask where the cameras were. His dad never acted like this. Rolling his eyes he walked away knowing that he would get an answer sooner or later.

Nikki eyes moved from her computer, seeing the older man stood in the doorway, “Conor?” Surprised to see him in her office, she stood up and rounded her desk before pulling the man into a hug. They had grown so close over the past few months, with Jack recovering in hospital. They had almost come to lean on each other and struck up this father and daughter bond that Nikki had yearned for for most of her life. Pulling back, her lips twitched. “What can I do for you?” She queried, heading back to her desk.

Conor checked over his shoulder, making sure that Jack was out of earshot, “Truthfully, I need your help,” he started. “It’s less than a week to go and I still haven’t got him anything. And I was wondering if you would come with me and help me choose? I now he’s my son but you probably spend more time with him so you might have a better idea than me.”

“Oh right,” she thought over it for a minute. They had been so busy trying to get everything back to normal for the past couple of weeks that she had barely any time to think about Christmas, so gifts for everyone had really been thrown out the window. But she knew that she was free this afternoon and all she needed was a couple of hours to sort everything out. “I finish at one, if you want to meet me in town?”

Conor nodded, “Perfect, the beam spread across his face. He was then reaching into his pocket, pulling out a white envelope and passing it to Nikki. She accepted it, a little bit confused. “It’s just a Christmas card don’t worry. I wanted to say thank you for everything that you’ve done this year. For myself and Jack. You’ve been great.”

“You really don’t have to thank me,” she shook her head, almost feeling emotional now.

“No I do. But I’ll leave you to it,” Conor shifted his weight between his feet, the awkwardness growing. Nikki tried not to laugh as yet another similarity between father and son jumped out at her. “I’ll see you later.” And then he was gone, mumbling something to Jack as he went.

She wasn’t surprised when Jack was now heading towards her office, his body leaning on the doorframe in the way that sent shivers down her spine. She pushed the thought down as Jack spoke.

“Come on then, Dr Alexander, spill,” he said firmly, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

“No,” she replied, sitting down at her desk. “That was strictly between your father and I. And you know me Mr Hodgson, I keep my word.”

“Please Nikki,” Jack begged, stepping into the room. “I’m going to be up all night thinking about it so just tell me.”

Nikki sighed, rolling her eyes, “If you must know, he’s asked me to help buy you a Christmas present,” she explained, his face dropping. He had been hoping for something more exciting than that.

The room went silent for a moment, Jack noticing the white envelope sitting on Nikki’s desk with his dad’s handwriting scrawled over it. He couldn’t stop his heart skipping a beat as he realised what it was. He had caught his dad in the card aisle trying to pick one out the other day. He had thought that he was buying a birthday card for someone since his dad hadn’t given anyone a Christmas card since his mother died.

He wanted to tell her. To let her know how much that card meant but he couldn’t find the words somehow. He was choking up at the thought of his mother and at how Nikki had so quickly become such an important person in not just his life but his fathers as well now. His eyes connected with hers, “I never thanked you,” he watched as her eyebrows furrowed before he continued. “For being there for my Da when I was…” he trailed off.

“Like I said to your father, you don’t have to thank me,” she interrupted. “It was the least I could do. Besides, I think he was there for me just as much as I was him.”

Jack pressed his lips together as his eyes remained on hers. It was there again. That tension. It had been bubbling under the surface for years but more so recently. Even before Jack had ended up in hospital for months. If anything, that was what had made it worse, more obvious. Maybe Jack nearly losing his life was enough to make him realise what he really wanted.

He had gone over the words over and over again but he hadn’t managed to bring up that conversation just yet. He wanted to talk about it, to tell her that he had meant all of it. He did love her. But the thing holding him back was her relationship. She was happy with Matt, the happiest he had seen her in a long time and he didn’t want to be the one to take that away from her. He didn’t want to let his feelings get in the way of her happiness.

So he relented just like he always had. And they were back at square one, in total denial of their feelings. But unlike before, this friction between them wasn’t going away. If anything, it was getting stronger and Jack knew it was only a matter of time before they snapped.

He glanced down at the floor, the contact breaking as he felt his cheeks growing warm. He didn’t say anything as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Later that afternoon, Conor and Nikki were wandering around all the shops. They had managed to settle on getting Jack a watch, Nikki remarking about his tendency of being late wherever he goes. Conor had wanted to make it that little bit more special by adding an engraving to it. Nikki didn’t pry into what message he had chosen, that wasn’t her place.

As they walked down the street and past various shop windows, Nikki’s mind was racing with all the things she could buy Jack. She had been thinking about it all day but she couldn’t decide on something. She wanted it to be something meaningful and something that would cheer him up because he certainly needed that right now.

It was going to be his first Christmas in a long time without having Clarissa turning up on his doorstep. Nikki knew that she of all people would find a way to annoy Jack on the day but it wouldn’t be the same. Not when she was miles away on a yacht somewhere.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Conor’s hand on her arm, letting her know that he just had to go somewhere and that he wouldn’t be long. She was going to follow him but something had caught her eye in the window. She watched as he walked away from her before heading into the shop to have a closer look.

As her eyes settled on the picture frames, she knew instantly what to do with them. They were only simple, nothing over the top or fancy. But they would fit perfectly on his desk and with the right photos inside, it would certainly cheer him up. He never had pictures on his desk so she knew that this would be something that he would appreciate.

After purchasing them, she returned outside and met up with Conor, “That was quick,” she pointed out as they continued down the street.

“Yeah, just had to pick something up that’s all,” he smiled.

* * *

“Son, I want you to have this,” Conor announced as he made his way into the living room. A small box in his hand. He passed it over to Jack who was now giving him a puzzled look. “Open it then.”

Jack’s face screwed up as he stared at his father. But curiosity got the better of him as he opened the navy box, revealing a small gold necklace sitting in the middle of it. A diamond pendant at the centre. He looked up at his dad again, more confused now than he was before.

“This was mum’s why are you giving it to me?” He asked.

“Because I want you to have it,” Conor remarked. “I got it cleaned up and I want you to give it someone who deserves it,” he raised an eyebrow at Jack but he knew that his son was already on the same wavelength as him. “I gave it to your ma on her twenty-first. Saved up for it for a whole two years and she never took it off. She’d want you to have it.”

“Da’ I don’t know what to say,” Jack was choking up again.

“Like your ma’ always used to say, best not to say anything because…”

“…you’ll only end up getting into more trouble,” Jack finished, the tears welling in his eyes. Without thinking, he was pulling his dad into a hug. Holding onto him tightly. Surprised when his father hugged him back.

* * *

“What do you mean your flight’s been cancelled?” Nikki exclaimed as she sat down on her sofa. She waited for an answer on the other end, no doubt some excuse that he had been trying to come up with for the past couple of hours. She knew he was lying, she had been tracking the flight out of excitement and she knew full well it hadn’t been cancelled. He should be in the air now and it was clear that he wasn’t. So either he was winding her up or he had missed it.

_“Nikki I’m sorry,” Matt sighed. “There’s no other flights now until after the new year. Trust me, I am so annoyed at this. I really wanted to spend the holiday’s with you again.”_

The irritation was starting to grow, it had been like this for months. Him missing flights and saying that he would do everything to make it up to her. He never did, if he did he would be here with her right now. She had tried her hardest to be there for him for the past couple of months. After the plane crash, she did everything in her power to make sure that he was getting the help he needed. She had known too well what it felt like to lose someone so suddenly and to feel partly responsible for it.

But he was pushing her away. Whether he knew he was doing that or not, she didn’t know. But she had known that it had changed them. What once was a happy relationship that had made her forget the atrocities that had happened to her over the last few years, had quickly turned sour. She just couldn’t believe that she had managed to do it again. She had managed to fail at yet another relationship.

Nikki let out a deep breath, “Matt just forget it, I’m done,” she said bluntly. “I can’t do this anymore, we can talk about it more when you finally decide to catch a flight. It’s over Matt, I’m sorry.” She didn’t give him a chance to answer before she was hanging the phone up. She waited for him to ring her back, almost pleading that he would because at least then she would know. She would know that he didn’t want to lose her. But that phone call never came.

She wiped the tear away with the back of her hand as her eyes wandered over to the card sat on her windowsill. Her heart fluttered as she stood up to read it again. She very rarely got a Christmas card. If she thought about it, she didn’t think she had gotten a Christmas card since her grandmother had died. She smiled as she scanned over the words again;

_“Nikki, thank you for everything you have done for Jack and I over the past year. I don’t think I would’ve gotten through it without you by my side. It relaxes my mind to know that my son has got someone like you in his life. I hope that one day, the two of you will come to your senses because you both deserve to be happy after all the things you have gone through._

_But enough about that. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Nikki and thank you once again. For everything. Conor.”_

Her fingers ran over the words as the tears continued to fall. A thought popped into her head as she remembered all the food that she had stocked up on. She was going to make herself and Matt Christmas dinner but now he had other plans, that food would just go to waste. She knew she shouldn’t and she would probably be intruding but it was worth a shot.

She walked back to the sofa. Picking up the phone, she scrolled through her contacts, eventually landing on Jack as she let the dial tone ring.

The necklace was still sat in his hands. He had been thinking about all the ways he would give it to her for the past couple of hours. He knew deep down that he shouldn’t, that it would be inappropriate. She had Matt and he would certainly start asking questions if he were to give her a necklace. But then, he had to thank her in some way. For everything she had done. She had been at his bedside for months and she had practically been living with his father from what he’d heard. He supposed that she didn’t have to wear it but he felt he had to give it to her, that it belonged to her somehow.

He jumped as his phone buzzed in his pocket. His heart dropped as he read the caller ID; a part of him spooked that it had been her calling. Swiping across on the screen, he answered, “Dr Alexander what can I do for you?”

“What are you doing tomorrow?” She asked.

“It’s Christmas Day so not much,” he chuckled as he continued staring at the necklace laying in his palm. “I’ll probably go and see my Da’ and then no doubt we’ll end up in some pub for food. Why?”

He heard her sighing on the other end of the line, “Matt’s cancelled,” she breathed. “Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that but I just wanted to know if you and your dad would like to spend Christmas at mine tomorrow. I’ve got loads of food here and I would hate to see it go to waste. Besides, I think I could do with the company.”

The grin spread across his face as his hand closed around the necklace, “Nikki, we’d love to.”

“Great,” he could almost see the beam on her face. “Well come round mine at any time, I’ll be up and stressing about the turkey no doubt. I’ll set up the spare room for you father, if you don’t mind having the sofa. It’s quite comfortable.”

“Sounds perfect,” Jack’s heart was racing. “See you tomorrow then?”

“See you tomorrow.”

* * *

The next day seemed to roll around very quickly. Nikki had promised herself that she would not let Matt enter her thoughts and it didn’t seem to be that hard of a job since she hadn’t received any messages from him.

She knew it was early but she had already made a start on prepping the lunch. In truth, she hadn’t made a big Christmas dinner before. She never had the opportunity or the people to do it. She had thought that this would be the first Christmas where things would feel normal and that she was just like an average person. Her and Matt. She shook her head.

“Nikki pull yourself together,” she spoke to herself. “Don’t let him ruin your day.”

Her stomach dropped as she heard a knock at the door. She smoothed her dress down and ran her hands through her hair before rushing to the front door. Pulling it open and revealing the two men behind it, she couldn’t help the way her heart raced. Stepping forward, she engulfed Conor into a hug first, squeezing him tightly. She stepped back, letting him in.

“Make yourself at home,” she beamed before turning back to Jack. He was shifting his weight across his feet but he was soon wrapping his arms around her in that way that he always did. She held on to him as hard as she could, the feeling of his arms around her making her feel safe and warm. Like she was home. Knowing that it was lasting just that touch too long, she pushed herself away from him, already missing that contact.

She knew her cheeks were flushing pink as his was but they remained silent, Nikki guiding them into her living room. Her tree bright and sparkling by the window. She had never been one for Christmas, not since she was a little girl anyway. She always tended to be alone this time of the year, her mother not being around and her father just not bothering. Just having Jack and Conor here with her was making things a million times better.

Nikki smiled as she caught the watch sitting on Jack’s wrist. She had wanted to wait until later to give Jack her present but the excitement had gotten to her and she was rummaging around the tree, pulling them out. She handed one to Jack and the other to Conor, “I was going to leave it until after lunch but you might as well have them now.”

Jack perched himself on the arm of the sofa whilst Conor was making himself comfortable. He looked up at Nikki, surprised as his hands ran over the brown paper, “You didn’t have to get me anything,” Jack’s lips twitched.

Nikki shrugged, “It’s only little.”

She watched as Jack carefully peeled away the paper. His breath hitched as the frames soon revealed themselves, photos in each of them. The first one was of him and Clarissa, pulling faces. He chuckled. The next was of the four of them; himself, Nikki, Clarissa and Thomas on one of their rare nights off. He couldn’t help the lump that was forming in his throat as he looked at his late boss.

The last photo was of himself and Nikki, he could remember that day as if it was yesterday. Thomas had taken the picture before he had sent them off on one of their charity events he hated going to. He was never good at sucking up to people, rather preferring to stand behind Nikki and keep her company whilst she wrapped everyone around her little finger. She had been so captivating that night and he had known that night that he was in love with her.

The tears had slipped down his cheeks as his eyes caught with hers, “Thank you,” fell from his mouth as he moved forward, pulling her into a hug once again. Nikki’s hand rested at the back of his neck, her face level with his now that he was sitting. She swiftly planted a kiss on his cheek before moving to Conor so he could open his present. She had bought him a wallet, she hadn’t been sure of what to get him but she knew it wouldn’t be fair to not get him anything. She had even managed to find a photo of Jack on his own to put in there.

Jack placed his hand into his pocket, knowing that the necklace was in there. But it didn’t feel like the right moment somehow. He had wanted to give it to her when they were on their own.

That afternoon Nikki was in the kitchen, in the middle of cutting up all her vegetables. Conor had settled in front of the TV, a whisky in his hand. Jack, being the restless person he was, was swapping between the two.

Walking into the kitchen, he leaned against the counter next to where Nikki was chopping the carrots. Spotting the jar of cranberry sauce he leaned over, grabbing it. His arm blocking her vision completely caused her head to snap over to him, an incredulous look on her face. He winked at her as he popped the jar open, dipping a spoon into it and helping himself to a mouthful.

Nikki’s mouth hung open as she glared at him, “I can’t believe you’ve just done that.” She went to snatch the jar back from him to stop from taking another but he moved away from her. “Jack give that back to me,” she demanded but there was a spark in his eyes and she knew that she had no chance of getting that back. And she wouldn’t exactly win the fight, not against him. She folded her arms, an eyebrow raised. “Jack, we need that for our lunch can you please not eat it all,” she warned.

He shrugged his shoulders, “What are you going to do about it Dr Alexander?”

She stepped forward again but he was moving out of her reach. He laughed as he held the jar up above her.

Nikki let out a breath, “Fine,” she relaxed, turning her concentration back to the vegetables that still needed prepping. “But when you’re complaining that there’s no cranberry sauce you’ll only have yourself to blame.”

Jack watched her for a moment, the smirk spreading across his face as he dipped his finger in the sauce. He waited, to see if she had noticed or twigged on to what he was about to do. Satisfied that she was none the wiser, he swiped his finger across her cheek, leaving behind a red line.

Nikki slammed the knife down on the counter, her tongue running over her lip, “Jack Hodgson I am going to kill you,” she tried to keep a straight face as she stared at him but he had that goofy grin and she could feel her lips turning upwards. He started backing away from her as she stepped forward. But she was too quick for him as she managed to take hold of the jar but he had snaked his arm around her waist, his fingers tickling at her sides causing her to burst out laughing.

She had swiftly forgotten about the jar of cranberry sauce, more concerned about getting Jack’s hands away from her as breath was beginning to get necessary. But he had somehow managed to pin her against the island that sat in the middle of her kitchen. He stopped suddenly, his chest rising and falling, his eyes flickering between her own eyes and lips.

Nikki gulped, her throat feeling dry from his gaze. She bit the inside of her lip trying to calm herself. She could feel the breath escaping her as he leaned forward, bringing their faces closer together but footsteps entering the kitchen had cut the moment short and now Jack was moving away from her. She wiped at her cheek as she looked round to see Conor had walked in, smiling at the pair of them before leaving again.

Nikki ran her hands down her dress as Jack passed the jar back to her, she let out a thanks before he followed after his dad. She closed her eyes as her elbows rested on the counter, her head in her hands.

Later on that evening, the three of them were very full from their lunch and they had all dozed off at some point during the afternoon. Conor had offered to make them a drink, leaving just Jack and Nikki in the living room. The both of them replaying the moment they had in the kitchen earlier. Nikki hadn’t been able to get it off her mind. The way her heart had raced and her skin tingled. They had had so many moments like that over the years but she had never wanted it to happen more than she had earlier.

As Jack gazed over at her, he knew now was the right time. Standing up he left the room. Digging through his coat, he pulled out the box and he was joining her once again. Nikki’s eyes followed him as he sat down next to her, a little bit closer than he was just now. Her brows furrowed as she spotted the box in his hand.

He held it out to her, “Merry Christmas,” he knew his voice was shaking but he was trying his hardest to hide it.

Nikki tentatively took it from him, curious as to what was inside it. Her heart raced as she opened it, revealing the gold necklace with the diamond pendant. Her hand came to her mouth as she gasped, “Oh Jack, it’s,” she looked at him, tears in her eyes. “I love it. Can you put it on please?”

Leaning over, he pulled it out of it’s casing. Nikki scooped her blonde hair up as he opened the clasp. He noticed the goosebumps erupting over her skin as his arm brushed across her flesh. Nikki was feeling breathless again, the feeling of his hand running against her back. She let her hair drop as she faced him, her fingers holding on to the pendant.

She leaned forward, her arms wrapping around his neck. His arms enveloped her back, holding on to her tightly. He could hear her whispering a thank you in to his ear and the shiver shot down his spine. She pulled away slightly but their faces were just as close as they had been in the kitchen. Nikki was closing the gap, their lips touching for the briefest of seconds.

“Right, here you go,” Conor announced, walking into the living room. Completely missing how Nikki and Jack had jumped apart. He placed the two mugs in front of them. “Now I’m not so young as you two and I tend to go to bed early these days. So, thank you for a wonderful day Nikki,” he leaned forward, placing his lips on her cheek. “Good night both of you.”

The pair watched as he left the room before looking back at each other, their breathing in time with one another’s. 

“I think I better go to bed as well actually,” Nikki breathed, standing up and picking her mug up. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright on the sofa?” She didn’t know why she had asked that. It sort of came out before she even had time to think about it.

“Yeah I’ll be fine,” Jack quickly replied, feeling somewhat defeated by that question.

“There’s blankets in the cupboard, help yourself,” she spoke before leaving the room, not wanting to hang around. Too scared of what may happen if she did. She carried her mug upstairs to her room, setting it down on her bedside table.

She set about getting changed but her mind kept wandering back to Jack downstairs. And as she sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers holding on to the necklace that now sat around her neck, she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to get any sleep knowing that he was right there. Not after everything that had happened today. She bit down on her lip as she quickly made the decision.

Standing up, she walked over to her door and pushed the handle down; opening it. She stepped out onto the landing, the floorboards creaking as she made her way over to the staircase. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted Jack standing at the bottom, his face carrying the same expression as hers.

Her breaths became shallow as he slowly walked up the stairs. She urged him to hurry up, the waiting becoming excruciating. All the air had left her lungs by the time he stopped, the step below her. Their faces level and dangerously close. She waited a moment, her eyes searching his before her hand came to cup his face. Leaning forward, their lips finally met in the middle.

Jack’s hands were at her waist as he made his way up that final step, having to bend his neck now. He was backing her in the direction of what he hoped was her room but given the lack of complaint from Nikki, he assumed he was right. Nikki felt around for the handle, eventually finding it as they made their way into her room. The door closed behind them as Jack guided her further into the room, their lips never leaving one another.

They had been so consumed by each other, Jack didn’t take the time to notice that he was now pushing her into the dresser. Their lips parted as a few bottles fell against the wood, clashing.

“Shh,” Nikki chuckled. “Your dad’s only next door.”

Jack shook his head, laughing as he captured her lips, “I feel like a teenager all over again, sneaking around,” he said in between kisses.

Nikki didn’t seem to be that bothered by the disturbance however because as soon as Jack’s lips were on hers, she had lost all inhibition. Her fingers clawing at his jumper. Jack stopped, pulling the jumper over his head, revealing the hard muscles underneath. Nikki’s eyes locked with his as her fingers dragged down his torso causing him to tense up. They soon reached the top of his jeans and his belt. Taking hold of it, she tugged him towards her bed.

She kneeled herself on the bed, giving her more height and to save Jack from having to strain his neck. His hands lifted the grey t-shirt from her body that she had only put on a matter of minutes ago. He stopped, taking a moment to take her in before he was pulling her towards him once again. Their skin pressed together. His face nuzzling into her neck, nipping at her flesh causing her to gasp.

He was soon pushing her back onto the bed, his body looming over hers. His lips travelling down her body, ridding her of the remaining material. He backed off, his eyes wandering over her as he peeled his jeans off. He felt nervous under her gaze, her eyelids drooped with lust. He removed the last item of clothing, their bodies exposed now. His body was over hers again. His hand wrapping around hers and placing it above her head as their lips connected.

Nikki’s free hand moved between their bodies, taking hold of his length and smiling to herself as he shivered. Jack felt around them, pulling the blanket over their bodies, feeling the chill attacking his skin now. She hooked a leg around him as she guided him into her. She gasped as she took a moment to adjust to him. But it wasn’t long before they were building up a rhythm. Their noses brushing in between kisses, trying their best to keep as quiet as possible. That was proving more difficult as they neared the end and Nikki was feeling the pleasure rip through every inch of her body. Her back arching and her head rolling back, exposing her neck for Jack to bite at the skin.

The deep growl that was escaping his throat was enough to tip her over the edge as she tightened around him. Jack lips crashed with hers, knowing that he was going to need something to keep him quiet as his orgasm washed over him. His hand squeezing hers. Nikki’s fingers had dug into his back so hard she knew that she was going to leave a mark.

Jack could feel himself calming as he loosened his hand from hers, his mouth leaving lazy kisses along her jawline. Nikki’s hand moved to the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair. He eventually lied down next to her but their bodies remained entwined. His lips connected with hers once again before pulling back, her pupils just as blown as his, “I love you,” he whispered.

Nikki’s heart raced, she had known it. He had said it to her months ago when he thought he was going to die. But hearing him say it now, she didn’t know how to deal with it. She had loved him too, she supposed she always had. But she also always struggled with the concept of love. It had been easy to love Matt, he did anything and everything for her. But her and Jack had been through so much, she was scared to love him because she didn’t want him to leave her. Because that’s what happened to the people she loved.

“You don’t have to say it back,” he continued. “I know it’s hard for you.”

Nikki almost burst into tears. Why she had ever let things drag out this long she’ll never understand. Lying next to her was a man that loved her endlessly and understood her in a way that no one else had. She had never been one to believe in soul mates but as she looked over at Jack, she truly believed that he was hers. That he was the one person she had been searching for her whole life. He was her equal. Her best friend. The one person that she knew would never leave her like the others had.

She ran her hand up and down his arm, “I love you too.”


	4. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would happen if Jack and Nikki had met at an earlier point in their lives? Set around S11 (major M warning for this one....apologies in advance)

Nikki jumped as she heard the slam of the door, consequently followed by Harry throwing his bag down on his desk. Her eyes had followed him around the room, her eyebrows furrowing as she wondered what on earth had managed to wind him up so much. But given that he had just come back from a crime scene she didn’t have far to think.

“Who’s done what to you?” She breathed, looking back down at the paperwork as she continued writing. Her head leaning against her hand, almost suppressing a smirk that was threatening to emerge. It was always amusing to her when Harry was in moods like this and no doubt it had been caused by some jumped up detective who thought they knew best.

Harry had just let out a sigh as he flopped down into his chair, his elbows leaning on the desk. He was trying to control his temper but he had well and truly been riled up, “Forensic bloke.”

Nikki’s head had snapped up at that, _that was a new one._ “Forensic bloke?”

“I was late to the scene. _Traffic._ You know how it is,” he started, his voice steady and calm for the moment. “You’d think they’d understand but when I got there, he’d already got his back up. I get there to him already taking evidence from the body.”

“Let me guess, you lost his temper with him?”

“No,” Harry shook his head. “Not at first anyway. But then he started trying to tell me how to do my job, making quips to the detective. I am this close to asking for him to be removed,” he was pinching his fingers together, his face stern.

Nikki rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, “Don’t take it to heart. You know how forensics can be, always think they know everything.”

Harry just huffed, no longer wanting to talk about his irritations, it would only piss him off more and he had a post mortem to think about preparing for. He glanced at the time on his watch, it would be a few hours until then so at least he had the chance to calm down.

Nikki wasn’t totally sure of how long it had been but she knew that she was going to have to stretch her legs sooner or later. She glanced up from her work, Harry was still there. But he did seem to be in a better mood than he had been in not so long ago. Picking up her empty mug from in front of her, she stood up.

“Coffee?”

His lips twitched as he caught her eye, “I won’t say no.”

Moving across the room, Nikki filled up the kettle and put it onto boil as she prepared the mugs. As she poured the milk into each mug, something seemed to move in the corner of her eye. She turned, only to see the back of someone’s head. He was tall, very tall, whoever he was. She looked back at Harry briefly but he hadn’t seemed to notice the man. Her eyebrows furrowed, even more so when the man turned.

She couldn’t help the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach as she took in the sight of him. She often strayed away from being superficial. She had learnt over the years that looks didn’t mean much as more often than not she ended up having to send them in the opposite direction. But she was only human after all so a bit of flirtation wasn’t going to strictly hurt now was it?

She walked down the hallway, opening the doors, “Can I help you?” She asked, a polite smile spreading across her face, matching the one that was planted on the mans also.

“I was looking for Dr Cunningham,” his Northern Irish accent thick and sending a shiver down Nikki’s spine. He flicked his wrist to look at his watch. “I came here for the post mortem, am I too early?”

Nikki’s mouth opened, realising now who this man just might be. And he wasn’t quite matching Harry’s description just yet. “Forensics?”

“Yes, Jack Hodgson,” he held his hand out. Nikki took it gladly, not missing the firmness in his shake. There was certainly a power behind his hands and she cursed herself for allowing her mind to wander about where else she could feel that strength. “You are?”

“Nikki Alexander,” she beamed. “Pathologist.”

“What? Really?”

She avoided the temptation to roll her eyes, it was always the same reaction whenever she told someone about her job. Disbelief. Disbelief that someone like her could cut up dead bodies for a living. It was shame really, she was beginning to like him.

“Harry’s just in here,” she changed the subject, moving back into the room so as for Jack to follow behind her.

He seemed perturbed by her reaction. He just hadn’t quite expected her to come out and announce that she was a pathologist, most of the female pathologists he had the pleasure of working with had been stuck up and stuffy. Not like this _Nikki_ in the slightest.

“You’ve got a visitor,” she spoke, grabbing Harry’s attention whose face had dropped the moment his eyes had settled on the Irishman.

Nikki, not being in the mood for a testosterone-filled argument, turned and continued with the drinks that she had been making. But to her surprise Harry had managed to remain calm and professional, she never thought she’d ever see the day. As she passed Harry’s drink over to him, the two men were making their way to the morgue - at least, one of them was; the other was making his way to the observation room.

She pottered about for what must’ve been half an hour but she was quickly growing bored, and knowing that a post mortem was taking place right under her nose was making it worse. She never could resist watching one, it was always fascinating seeing how someone else worked.

Standing up, she followed in the footsteps of the previous two. As she walked into the observation room, she could see Harry working away behind the glass whilst this _Jack_ was leaning on the railings. The green t-shirt he was wearing only emphasising his already defined muscles. And there was the fluttering again, she wished it would stop. She would only get her heart broken.

And after what had happened with Harry last year, that was the last thing she needed; she was yet to still get over the mess of that whole situation. She knew that they would one day, and perhaps they’d have another go at things. But at the moment, the pair of them were still pretending as if the whole thing had never happened so moving on was at the bottom of their list. She was open to distractions, to take her mind of it all. But it still boiled down to Harry. She didn’t want to say it, she didn’t want to admit it, for fear of rejection, but she supposed, in a way, she loved him.

But how he felt about her was another story. And from the way he acted around her sometimes, she was sure that their feelings weren’t mutual. But there’d be moments when he’d look at her for a touch too long, would make a point of brushing his hand with hers. It would make her skin tingle with excitement. But nothing ever came of it, and he’d go back to being his usual joking self and act like he was devoid of any attraction towards her.

A smile creeped over her face as she wondered. Every one of her past encounters, since that sorry mess with Harry, had been outside of the Lyell. And not of his knowledge. But she pondered about how he would react if she were to pursue someone in front of him, then she would for sure know how he felt about her. And this Jack would be perfect, he had already done a splendid job of winding Harry up.

She shook her head at herself, she knew it would be a stupid, childish idea. But her brain wasn’t very quick in catching up with her body as she edged further into the room, placing herself next to Jack; her arm pressing into his.

Nikki watched his head turn in the corner of her eye, but she kept her focus on Harry, trying her best not to steal a glance at the taller man. She knew how men worked, more often than not the more you ignored them, the more often they were inclined to chase after you. And that was exactly what she needed if she was going to find out Harrys true feelings.

Jack leaned in slightly closer to her, “If I offended you earlier, it wasn’t my intention,” his voice was soft, almost a whisper. She ignored the way it had made her knees feel weak.

“Forget about it,” she sighed, still not looking at him. “I’m used to it. They all have the same reaction when they find out I go rooting around dead bodies for a living.”

“I just didn’t expect it that’s all. There’s not many pathologists I know that make me want to-” he stopped short, not knowing if what he was about to say was all that appropriate considering he had met the woman only half an hour ago.

That had finally caught her attention as she glanced up at him, his face colouring as he turned away from her. Nikki bit down on her lip to stop the smirk growing further, this was going to much easier than she thought.

Not another word was uttered between the pair as they continued to watch Harry manoeuvre his way around the body, reeling off bits of important information he had found. Nikki had taken the time to drink in the features of the man stood next to her. He was young, for a forensic scientist. And not at all what she would expect. It then dawned on her that that was probably what most people had felt when they met her; unexpected.

His hair was short-cropped and dark, he very clearly did well to look after himself judging by the size of his arms. She did question just exactly what he did when she caught sight of the reddened knuckles. Some of which had only just healed over. Her eyes travelled over his face, quick to notice the signs of previous scarring, just above his eyebrow. So, fighting, was in his repertoire.

She had been so lost in trying to build up her impression of him that she had missed the remark he had made to Harry. But she had certainly heard Harry’s reaction, “Do you want to come down here and do it for me? Since you know _so_ much about pathology,” he had quipped, his face stern.

She knew that look, she had seen it a thousand times in the short years she had known him. And she knew that he was moments away from cracking and she wasn’t quite sure she was in the mood for dealing with the aftermath of that all. Nikki placed a hand on Jack’s arm, not missing how she felt a jolt of electricity shooting up her own.

Jack’s head snapped to meet her eye and her throat suddenly felt dry and she had swiftly forgotten what she was going to say. But she knew that she was going to have to come up with something quickly. The air was growing thick around them and she was struggling to tear her eyes away from him. They were a dark green and it felt as though he was staring into her soul, reading her innermost thoughts.

She was losing her breath fast and she knew that she was going to have to break the contact before anything else happened. She swallowed, bringing herself back into the room. Blinking, she flicked her head back to Harry for a brief moment.

“I’d, uh, avoid starting an argument with Harry if I were you,” she managed to get out, but she didn’t totally trust her voice.

“I can handle him,” he raised an eyebrow.

He was confident, she’d give him that. And now he was beginning to live up to the previous description Harry had given her. She could see why he had thrown Harry’s back up, but that didn’t deter her in the slightest. It only encouraged her. Harry wouldn’t exactly be happy if she were to go after the one person who had managed to wind him up something rotten.

“I’m sure you can,” her eyes washed over his arms again. “But trust me, it’s not worth it.”

Jack didn’t say much else, his eyes too busy jumping between Nikki’s eyes and lips. Nikki watched him, finding herself mirroring his movements. This was definitely going to be easy.

Harry finished up on the post mortem whilst Nikki made quick effort to show Jack out of the building. She had a feeling that once Harry returned from his shower, it wasn’t going to take much for him to fly off the handle. She guided him to the entrance of the Lyell, opening the door for him. Not much was said as he left awkwardly.

Nikki was walking back towards her desk when she heard a knocking coming from behind her. Her heart was racing now and she couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face as she turned back and opened the door, revealing Jack behind it; looking rather nervous now.

“I know this is a long shot but what are you doing tonight?” He grinned despite being rather out of breath.

Nikki raised an eyebrow, “Depends-”

“Okay different question,” he interrupted her. “Would you like to go for a drink later? Maybe, possibly, with me.”

“Sure,” Nikki nodded, not needing any time to think over it. “I’ll just write down my number for you.” She moved quickly, trying to remain calm. And it seemed as though her prayers had been answered as she spotted Harry heading in her direction, his face already like thunder.

His brows furrowed as he watched her write down various numbers on a piece of paper. But his mouth hung open as she walked back down the hallway and passed the paper to the same man who had done a very good job of pissing him off.

“That better not be what I think it is,” he quipped as she sauntered past him and sat down in her chair. His hands were on his hips now. “Anyone but him Nikki. He’s arrogant, hardly your type. It won’t last two minutes.”

“Who said that I want it to last more than two minutes?” She remarked, celebrating inside now that she knew her plan was working. “It’s just a bit of fun Harry.”

“Well, when it all ends in tears, don’t come running to me,” he let out a sigh, sitting down opposite to her. “I tried to warn you.”

She rolled her eyes at him, his reaction only stirring her on more. Their eyes connected as she heard her phone ringing off from her bag. She rifled through said bag before pulling her phone out. It didn’t take two guesses to know who the number belonged to. She answered it, placing the phone next to her ear.

“Missing me already?” She teased, her eyes never leaving Harrys.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line, _“Well, now you have my number. Pick you up at eight?”_

“I’ll send you the address,” and then she hung up. She smiled at Harrys look of disgust. “What’s wrong? Jealous?”

He scoffed, “Please.”

Nikki leaned her head on her hand, smirking to herself. She didn’t even need to go on this ‘date’ to prove Harrys feelings for her, she had got that answer pretty quickly. But she was overdue a night out and she needed to let her hair down once in a while.

“Everything alright?” Leo asked, walking into the room and picking up on the tension currently situating between the two pathologists.

“Just _fine,_ ” Harry spat, standing up and walking out of the room.

Leo’s brows screwed together as he watched the younger man storm out, but once his eyes connected with Nikki’s it didn’t take a genius to work out what had happened. He had been aware of what had happened between the two last year and he had encouraged Nikki to steer clear from a workplace relationship, for her sake and the Lyell’s. They never ended well and he didn’t want to lose two very good pathologists over the sake of a domestic. But she clearly hadn’t got the message as she was still set on winding Harry up. He shook his head, leaving the room, not wanting to get involved - unless it got serious of course. And then he would have no choice but to step in. But he trusted, for the moment, that it would just blow over in a day.

* * *

Nikki didn’t hesitate to start getting ready the moment she got home. She had flung all of her outfits on the bed, taking her time to pick out the best one. She hadn’t been sure of where they were going so it was hard to know which would be the best choice but she settled on a figure hugging black dress that fell just below her knees. Matched with a pair of heels, quickly remembering just how tall Jack had stood next to her.

She grabbed her jacket and made her way downstairs after applying her makeup. She didn’t go over the top, she had never been one to wear a lot. But she put on just enough. She didn’t have to wait long until she heard a beep coming from outside and she locked the front door, heading outside to find Jack waiting by the taxi for her.

His breath hitched as he watched her move down the path, the dress accentuating every curve and he had a right mind to cancel the taxi and take her back inside.

“You look,” his eyes scanned over her. “Amazing.”

She felt the blush creeping up on her, suddenly feeling shy under his gaze. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” she replied, appreciating the dark blue shirt he had put on that was showing off his arms very well.

“Where are you taking me then?” She brushed past him, entering the taxi.

“I was thinking that new bar that’s just opened?”

It didn’t take them long to arrive into the main town, the streets buzzing with excitement. And the music loud and pumping. She was glad that she made the decision to bring a jacket now as the winter chill attacked her bare legs whilst she waited for Jack to finish paying the taxi driver.

They eventually made their way towards the bar, Jack’s hand pressing into the small of her back, guiding her in the right direction. Her heart rate was increasing as it felt as though his palm was burning her. And she was beginning to wonder why they were wasting their time with all this set up, they both knew how the night was going to end.

They had managed to find themselves a booth despite the place being _very_ full. And to their luck it was fairly discreet. Nikki had been told to make herself comfortable whilst Jack got the drinks in. He returned to her a few moments later with a tray full of various shots and two larger glasses.

Nikki’s eyes widened as he sat down next to her, passing her half of the shots. “Out to impress are we?” She nudged him.

“Just thought that we should have a few to get us going,” he chuckled, picking up of the small glasses and clinking it against hers before the two of them downed one of the shots.

Nikki pulled a face as the sour liquid danced along her tongue.

They took more shots and drank their drinks. They had talked for hours, the conversation bouncing between them with ease, as if they had known each other for years. As the night passed, Nikki had swiftly forgotten her reasons for coming here in the first place, the thoughts of Harry Cunningham well and truly pushed to the back of her mind.

“So how come you wanted to be a forensic scientist?” She asked, her vision wavering slightly. She wasn’t drunk but she was definitely tipsy. And when she was like this she had a tendency for getting rather _giggly._

Jack shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know,” he glanced over at her. He wasn’t sure how he had managed to avoid kissing her all night, it had been all too tempting. And over the course of the night she had edged closer and closer to him and it was all becoming too much to bear. “How come you wanted to be a pathologist?” He threw back at her.

“How long have you got?” She quipped. “I think we should leave childhood trauma for the next date, don’t you?”

“Next date? Bold of you to assume that I would want to see you again.”

She was feeling braver than she had before the start of the night and her mouth was opening before her brain had chance to catch up, “Well, _Mr Hodgson_ , I couldn’t help but notice that you have been staring at me all night,” she smiled, moving ever so slightly closer to him. The gap between them growing smaller and their faces inches apart. Her eyes caught his briefly as she felt his breath brushing across her top lip; her skin tingling with anticipation.

But she wasn’t going to let him have it that easily as she pulled back from him, putting a distance between them as she stood up, holding her hand out. “I think it’s time we had a dance don’t you?”

Jack shook his head, smiling to himself. He had never met a woman quite like her. She was captivating and he knew that she was definitely going to keep him on his toes. Reaching out he took hold of her hand, it feeling much smaller in his own. But she pulled him with all her might to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the room.

His hands slipped around her waist, pulling her closer so he could talk to her. The music drowning their voices out. “I don’t dance,” he spoke into her ear.

“Who said anything about dancing?” Nikki’s lips were on his within seconds taking Jack by surprise. But he reacted quickly, bringing his hand to the back of her head bringing her even closer to him as the kiss deepened. Nikki’s hands were cupping his cheek, her tongue running along his bottom lip.

Her eyes were closed, the steady rhythm of the beat pounding around them as Jack’s lips melted into hers. It felt as though they were the only two in the room; Jack’s hand travelling over body. Her lips parted from his, knowing that if she didn’t stop now they were going to take things too far. She didn’t have to say anything as Jack seemed to have read her mind, his hand knitting in his as he picked up her jacket from the chair and headed out of the bar. He was quick to hail down a taxi and make their way back to her house.

She was struggling to control herself and making matters worse was Jack’s hand moving up her thigh, tickling her skin. She stopped him in his tracks, knowing that if he went any further she wouldn’t be able to stop herself and she was having to remind herself of just exactly where they were.

Thankfully the journey wasn’t too long and before they knew it Nikki was fishing around in her bag for her house keys. The task would’ve been much easier had Jack not been planting kisses into her neck whilst his fingers had been scraping up her leg. She had to place her hand on the door in front of her to steady herself as his hand cupped where she had been burned for him the most. A moan escaped the back of her throat as she felt herself unravelling against him. Her reactions completely involuntary.

“Come on,” Jack mumbled into her flesh.

Nikki wanted to roll her eyes and point out that they would be inside if he gave her a chance to retrieve her keys. She eventually managed to find them as she placed them in the lock, Jack having removed his hand and his arm now snaking around her waist pulling her into him. She could feel his muscles tensing as she pushed into his chest and it was sending her over the edge.

Before she had chance to push the handle of the front door down, he was spinning her around and slamming her body into the door with a force that didn’t hurt but only excited her more. His mouth was attacking hers with a desperation that made her feel important, as though she were the only person on earth.

His intentions were very clear as his mouth peppered kisses along her jawline, his hands smoothing over her curves and following in the same direction they had been before. His mouth not hesitating to shadow the movements of his hands. Her breath hitched as his lips pressed against her briefly before he stood once again. Quick to remember that they were in full view of the street.

Nikki was looking up at him, her eyelids drooped and heavy, she had never met a man quite like him before. She had not known him for twenty four hours yet he had the ability to make her stomach do somersaults with just one look.

She felt for the handle behind her, not wanting to break the contact between them. Once she finally managed to find it, she was pushing down, opening the door and allowing them to go in. She knew that as soon as the door clicked shut behind them there would be no hesitation. They were in the privacy of her home now, he could do what he liked to her.

Jack knew that and in one swift movement he had picked her up, his hands under her thighs as he pushed her into the door again. Nikki’s hands running through his hair, pulling at the tendrils as Jack bit down on her lip making her yelp. The blood pooling in her body as it shook from excitement.

Nikki slipped the straps of her dress down, revealing her bare chest. Jack had taken great pleasure in this, his tongue making patterns on her flesh. Nikki threw her head back, the adrenaline ripping through her veins. She was doubting very much that they were going to make it to the bedroom on time.

Jack was slowing his movements, suddenly deciding that he wanted to savour this moment. His lips captured hers again, the tenderness of it all making Nikki shiver. Up until now he had been a burning passion but now he was soft, gentle, taking the time to feel her lips under his.

Nikki’s fingers toyed with the buttons on his shirt now, popping them open to reveal the muscles underneath. Her nails scraped down his skin, making him tense and the smirk spread across her face. It seemed as though she could have just as much of an effect on him as he could on her. She pressed her body into his as her teeth began attacking the skin on his neck, causing him to growl. She knew that she was leaving marks behind.

His arm moved to support her back as he stepped back and carried her towards the stairs. He could feel himself straining against his jeans now and he knew that he was going to spill over the edge long before they had a chance to make it upstairs. He laid her down on the stairs. The passion building up in him again as he drank her all in. His hands brushing down her legs as he helped flick the shoes off her feet. Followed by the offending material between her legs that had done nothing except get in the way.

Nikki sat up, not giving him the chance to make any further movements as she reached out in front of her. Unbuckling his belt, along with the buttons of his jeans. He stepped out of them quickly, not wanting to waste any more time.

“Have you got anything?” Nikki whispered, the room deadly silent around them.

Jack nodded, not trusting his voice. He picked up the jeans that had now fallen to the floor, his hands digging into one of the pockets before revealing a silver packet. He was about to open it up when he felt Nikki’s hands covering his, taking it from him.

“Let me,” she breathed, taking the packet between her teeth and ripping it open.

If Jack hadn’t been turned on before he certainly was at this point. He was completely under her control now as she hooked her finger between the waistband of his boxers and pulled them down. Her eyes had widened for a moment but she was quick to take hold of him, running her hands up and down his length a few times before she slipped the rubber over him.

He was pushing Nikki back as he now loomed over her, he stole a quick kiss from her before his hand moved between them and he guided himself into her. Nikki’s breath hitched, her body arching as she felt him fill every part of her. He stilled for a moment, allowing her to adjust to him. But as soon as she hooked a leg around him, he created a rhythm between them.

His hand taking hold of hers and placing it above her head, whilst his other moved to cup her cheek so his lips could connect with hers. He was taken by surprise when her hand had laid on top of his, moving it so his fingers now curled around her neck. His lips parted from hers, his eyes searching hers. She gave him a small nod.

She barely knew him, it hadn’t even been twenty four hours, yet, she felt as though she could trust him with her life. He was tender with her despite the obvious strength behind his fingers, she could feel that as plain as day as he pushed against her pressure point. But it wasn’t intimidating, it wasn’t scary. It didn’t make her fear for her life. It spurred her on even more and as his rhythm increased, and that familiar feeling was building up inside her, she felt at one with the world.

Jack’s hold on her neck tightened as he too could feel himself nearing the end. Her back was arching further and she was tightening around him as the wave washed over her. Her body pulsating. Her breathing shallow.

He wasn’t far behind her as she tightened around him, the grip on her neck loosening as his head dropped to her chest. The orgasm washing over him. He tried not to collapse on top of her as he felt his body relax, it was hardly the most comfortable spot. He was suddenly starting to feel sorry for her back as it pressed into the stairs. But before he had chance to say anything her lips were crashing into his and her hands were around the back of his neck pulling him close to her once again.

She would’ve stayed there forever, had it not been for the stairs digging into her lower back. But she was too much enjoying the feeling his mouth against hers.

Jack was parting from her now, knowing that he was going to have get cleaned up and they couldn’t exactly remain half naked at the bottom of her stairs. She was watching every move he made. He was feeling hot under her gaze.

Nikki picked up the straps of her dress, placing them on her shoulders once again and providing herself with a sense of decency. A breeze flowed into the room causing her to shiver. Reaching out in front of her she picked up Jack’s shirt and wrapped it around her body.

“And I just have to freeze?” He scoffed, an incredulous look on his face. But he didn’t mind so much, the fact that his shirt was falling to her thighs and drowning her arms was enough to make him feel weak at the knees. He couldn’t believe that these feelings had so suddenly sparked up inside of him, he didn’t even know her. But he felt as though they had been friends for years.

Nikki brushed past him, “Do you want a cup of tea?”

“Sure,” he replied, following behind her before walking over to the bin to dispose of the evidence from their recent activity. He sat down at the breakfast bar and admired her as she walked around her kitchen, making the two of them drinks.

“How do you take it?” She asked, turning around to face him now.

He stood, walking over to her, he plucked the pot of sugar from her hand and placed it back down on the counter before his lips were capturing hers. His fingers combing through her long, blonde hair. Nikki’s hands were at his sides. And as the kiss deepened, she no longer fancied that cup of tea.

Pulling back from him, she took hold of his hand and guided him up the stairs to her bedroom.

* * *

She couldn’t help but feel surprised when she seen him still lying in the bed next to her the following morning. They never usually stayed this long, always finding an excuse to slip away. But she watched him as his remained close and his chest rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern. She sat up in the bed admiring him but she was quick to notice the various scars he had all over his body. She reached out, her finger brushing over them.

That must have been enough to wake him as his eyes fluttered open.

“How did you get all these?” She whispered softly.

Jack glanced down at his body, Nikki’s fingers pressing into one his scars, “You really want to know?”

“Yes,” she said, matter of factly. “And, you can tell me what else you do for a living. Because I am sure you don’t get these from being a forensic scientist,” she was picking up his hand, inspecting the bruised knuckles. “Do you fight?”

Jack nodded slowly, “Cage fighting.”

“Cage fighting? That’s an odd hobby to have.”

He shrugged, “Maybe. But it’s a release. Reminds me to have some bottle.”

Nikki chuckled causing Jack’s brows to furrow, “You definitely don’t seem short of that,” her eyes searched his. “What about the others?”

“Car accidents, few other things,” he paused, his own finger coming up to brush against her skin. “What about you? Have you got any war wounds?”

Nikki shook her head.

“Really? Because I’m sure I seen one here,” he pointed at her stomach. Nikki looked down, confused. But she didn’t have much time to think over it as Jack was pushing her down onto the bed, his body looming over her. “I’ll to kiss it better.”

He leaned down, planting a kiss to her stomach. He continued down her body, pointing out various ‘wounds’ that he just _had_ to kiss away. Nikki laughed each time. But as the kisses moved down her inner thigh she could feel the flutters in her stomach again. And he slowed down, making it all that more excruciating. By the time he reached where she had wanted him the most, she was completely succumbing to him, her fingers knotting in his hair as his tongue circled around her.

Her whole body was convulsing and she was pushing herself further into him, wanting to gain every ounce of pleasure from him. Her hips bucked as the pressure built up and she tipped over the edge. That feeling filling every part of her. Her body relaxed and her breathing was rapid as Jack made his way back up to her, his face burrowing into her neck.

She could feel him hard against her leg and she didn’t hesitate to slip her hand between them. Her hand running up and down his length. She moved, ready to guide him in but his hand was stilling her, “Wait,” he breathed. He was moving to find his trousers.

“Jack it’s fine.”

He looked over at her, “You sure?”

She nodded, “I’m on the pill and as long as you’re…” she trailed off, not needing to define what she was talking about.

“I would’ve told you yesterday if there was,” he smiled innocently at her. He didn’t have a chance to move as Nikki now straddled him, her hands continuing what they had started, before she was lifting herself on top of him.

Jack’s hands stroked up and down her spine as she moved around on top of him, their lips connected. He was matching her movements, that feeling building up between them. A groan escaped the back of his throat as he peaked. Nikki rode the wave out, _that was certainly one way to wake up in the morning._

She made the two of them breakfast, although how she had managed to get anything done was a mystery to her. Jack had insisted on pulling her into his arms every five minutes and peppering her head with kisses. She wasn’t quite sure of how she would be able to get him off her mind in work. He had certainly left an imprint on her memory that was going to be hard to shake off.

But she still had a job to do, as much as she didn’t want to part with him. Jack had eventually made his goodbye, which was just mainly him stood in her doorway, her mouth exploring his whilst his hands travelled across every curve of her body. He had promised that he would speak to her later, and he did mention that he would probably have to make an appearance at the Lyell later on anyway.

Nikki had to bite down on her lip to stop the smile from spreading across her face. She never usually felt like this after chance encounters. They usually came for a quick one and left that very same night. But Jack had been different and she had a feeling that he might just be one that stayed.

She was greeted at work by a bunch of flowers sitting on her desk. She had smelt them before she had seem them and as her eyes had settled on them, she certainly wasn’t disappointed. There was a small card attached to them and she had felt her heart swell at the sight of Jack’s writing sprawled over it, _“To Nikki, thank you for a wonderful evening. Jack x”_

“I assume it went well last night then?” Harry quipped as he walked in behind her, a mug of coffee in his hand.

“As a matter of fact it did,” she grinned. “He’s not so bad you know. You should give him a chance.”

“Well given the way you’re glowing this morning I’d say that your opinion there Dr Alexander would be quite biased,” he raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you think it’ll be serious? Or just another one of your one night stands?”

“Anyone would think that you were jealous Dr Cunningham.” She hadn’t forgotten her reasoning for going after Jack in the first place, and although it had yielded the answers she had so desperately wanted at the time. Now that she knew she wasn’t all that bothered. Jack had been like a whirlwind and, without offence, had taken her by surprise. She had expected him to leave but he had stayed. He had helped her make breakfast and they had actually talked to each other. Shared things with each other. She went after him on the principle of making Harry jealous but she had come out of it with a feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that she didn’t quite want to put a name to yet. But a feeling she knew that if she saw more of Jack then, it would only grow into something bigger.

As she looked at Harry, she realised how confused she had been over the past year. She had thought she loved him, and in many ways she did. But perhaps she had confused that love for something one might feel for a family member. Perhaps it could’ve turned into something more had they not fallen at the first hurdle.

But they were past that now, the ship had sailed. There was no hope for them. And Nikki knew that it was about time she stopped moping around, waiting for him to wake up and realise that she had been in front of him the whole time. She didn’t want to make him jealous anymore. She didn’t want him to chase after her. She didn’t love him, at least, not in that way.

It had taken this brief, exciting moment with Jack to make her realise that. She deserved more than someone who would walk away at the first sign of trouble. And even if this _thing_ with Jack was only meant to something that was just a one off, at least she had learnt something from it. She should start putting herself first and stop waiting around for other people.

“I’m not jealous,” Harry eventually spoke, with a calmness to his tone. “It’s just I’ve seen his type before. And I’ve seen too many men breaking your heart. Just don’t want you to get hurt again, that’s all.”

“I like him Harry,” she admitted. “I really do. And he’s not like the others. I know that sounds absurd, I’ve only known him for a day but he’s sweet. Kind. A gentleman.”

“Then, I’m happy for you,” he gave her a genuine smile before leaving her in the room alone.

She had been so deep in that conversation with Harry she hadn’t realised the buzzer sounding off until she heard a cough coming from behind her, followed by Leo saying, “Nikki you’ve got a visitor.”

The grin spread across her face as she spotted Jack walking behind Leo. His face mirroring hers as she moved to wrap her arms around his neck, his arms snaking around her waist.

“Thank you for my flowers,” she spoke in his ear before pulling away from him. “They’re beautiful.” Her lips connected with his briefly, not wanting to start anything up.

“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman,” he beamed, a twinkle in his eye. “I was just wondering if you wanted to go for dinner tonight?”

“Not sick of me then?”

“Somehow I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of you.” 

“It’s been a day Jack, I can guarantee that you won’t be saying that in a few months time.”

“Few months?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “That sounds serious.”

Nikki didn’t provide him with an answer, just a wink and small smile before she closed the gap between the two of them.


	5. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime after Mexico

It had been one of the many times she'd phone him in the middle of the night, unable to breathe. Unable to get her words out. She'd only have to say his name and that would be enough. He'd be outside her house within minutes.

They didn't speak. They never spoke. He would just hold her until the pain went away. His hands would do the talking. They'd brush across her skin and she'd whimper under his touch. She'd get her release. For a few bleak moments she would forget about what happened. Forget that she was trapped, under the ground.

That was all he could give her; a few seconds of ecstasy.

But as the high wore off, she'd come crashing back down to earth. And her eyes would stare back at him. Those big brown eyes. And then he'd remember that he could never give her what she really wanted. He couldn't love her. Loving her had put her in that box in the first place.

He wouldn't allow himself to be so weak again.

She'd cup his cheek with her palm and he'd hiss at though she had burned him. It wasn't her fault, it was never her fault. The blame lied solely at his feet. He wanted to help her, he wanted to be there for her but he didn't know how. Except like this.

Midnight phone calls had turned to midnight walks. But when the weather had turned, they would just sit in her house. Not a single word passing between them. Just looks. Looks of guilt and regret.

Then one day she asked if he would hold her. He obliged. It had been so long since he had felt her touch. But he had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't about him. He wasn't the one that was buried alive. He was just the one who hadn't saved her.

He would hold her for hours, until she drifted off. He'd carry her to her bed and then he'd sneak away. He couldn't bear to stay any longer. Couldn't allow himself to give into those feelings.

She had made the first move - of sorts. She had taken his hand in hers, guided him to where she had wanted to feel him the most. Their lips never met in the middle, he had never felt her lips pressed against his. He had made that an unofficial rule. More so to save himself. If he kissed her, then he wouldn't stop. He wasn't there for him. His needs didn't need to be met.

He would come to her house, he would sit up with her for hours, he would wash the pain away as best he could. But it was never for him. It was all for her. She'd try. Her fingers would brush over the buckle on his belt. But his hands would wrap around her wrist and he'd stop her.

He was desperate to leave the self control behind, to allow himself to feel. To allow her to relieve him of the guilt. But he couldn't do it.

This dynamic between them started to become a daily occurrence. He could almost predict when she would ring. He'd be halfway through pulling the jumper over his head when his phone would buzz on the counter. He knew it was wrong, he knew that this wasn't how they should be dealing with things.

He knew that they needed to talk but he couldn't. Because he was scared of what might be revealed if they did. This was the only way he could be close to her without hurting her.

He wasn't sure what had been so different about tonight. Maybe it had been the look in her eye. Perhaps the way she had made sure to put the distance between them. She didn't fall into his arms as she usually would. She'd glared at him from across the room.

He let her shout, he let her get it off her chest. He knew it was coming someday. They had spent hours in each others company without a single word said between them. It was bound to all come out one day. She cried, he was desperate to close the distance. To wrap his arms around her but he fought against that urge.

He stood up to leave, he couldn't withstand it any longer. He knew that if he stayed he would cave and that was the last thing they needed. She followed him down the hallway, her cheek stained with tears. She begged him not to leave.

His hand was on the door handle when he felt her pressing her head into his back. Her fingers gripping on to his jumper.

"Please don't leave me as well," her voice had barely been a whisper. But he had heard it clear as day. His head was screaming at him, telling him to walk away before he made it worse. But his heart turned him around.

His hands cupping her cheeks as he finally crossed that boundary. He lost the self control. He let go. He allowed himself to feel her. All the urges and temptations spilling over the edge. She'd guided him up the stairs and into her bedroom.

Her fingers making no hesitation to unbuckle his belt. Before he knew it she had taken hold of him, the groan escaping the back of his throat involuntarily. Just the feeling of her hand brushing across every nerve was sending him over the edge. This had been building up for months. Possibly even years.

He pushed her down on to the bed, his hands swiftly ridding her of the materials that sat on her body. His fingers snaking down her skin, in the same route they had taken nearly every day for the past two months. He had learnt her body, what made her tick. That much was evident by the way her back was arching.

But seeing her writhing around underneath him, only made him more aware of his own arousal. He stopped, his hand moving to take hold of hers. Her eyes searched his for a brief moment before she cupped his cheek, their lips meeting in the middle. The feeling that was stirring up inside his stomach the moment her lips brushed his, was the exact reason he had avoided this. He had been falling in love with her for years. This was only making those feelings stronger.

He stood, removing his jeans and boxers in one movement before he was looming over her once again. He had grown desperate. All those feelings that had been stored away for so long now coming out. He pushed inside her, she threw her head back, a moan escaping her lips.

It didn't last long. He knew it wouldn't. He had bit down on her shoulder as his body shuddered. Her nails had dug into his back as she wasn't far behind.

The silence settled amongst them once again. But Jack couldn't bring himself to leave. He knew it would be for the best but her mouth had found his and he stayed. He had laid down next to her and let the sleep wash over him.

He was woken the next morning by the sound of her breathing. It was rapid and he could see the panic in her face. He had never stayed long enough to see her like this. It made him wonder if it had been like this every morning. He cursed himself for ever choosing to walk away from her.

Her eyes shot open, darting around the room before settling on him. He reached over, taking hold of her hand.

"It's okay Nikki, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."


	6. 1950s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm blaming TikTok for this one...a bit different but I hope you enjoy

He had been doing the rounds for a few months now, it was a new area but he had made himself known to the community quickly and everyone knew him by his name now.

He didn't meet her straight away, only the husband came to answer the door. It hadn't been until the husband was called away to the war, much like all the other men across the country, did he first lay his eyes on her. She had taken his breath away and it quickly became a treat to catch a glimpse of her brown eyes every other morning.

That first morning he'd seen her, he hadn't failed to notice the bruises on her arms however. He had lost count of the number of women he'd seen with the same purple markings. His own mother had worn the same when she had been alive. His heart had broken for her, realising quickly that that was perhaps why it had always been the husband who'd shown his face.

They didn't speak a word to each other for the first few weeks, just glances from across the street. Looks of reassurance. She may have hated her husband, Jack had no doubts about that. But she still had a child to look after. A young girl. The first time he had met her was the same day words passed between them.

It had been a hot Monday morning, the sun burning bright in the sky despite how early it had been. A mop of blonde curls came bursting out of the door, nearly knocking him flying with smashed bottles of milk all over the floor.

"Lucy Alexander how many times have I told you?" She stopped short when she spotted him stood in her doorway.

Her voice had been everything he had expected, possibly even more and it did nothing to tame the images in his head. It was soft and made his stomach leap. His eyes scanned over her, the skirt she was wearing clinging to her slim frame.

"It's alright," the drawl of his own Irish accent rolling off his tongue as he reached out and mussed the young girls hair; she had been the spitting image of her mother.

He lowered himself down to the small girl, his eyes level with hers now. She couldn't have been much older than four. He dug his hand into his pocket, revealing a lollipop. The girls eyes had lit up and the beam spread across her face as she accepted it with a thank you before running back into the house.

Jack chuckled as he stood up, met by the woman staring back at him, her arms crossed; there was still a ghost of a smile on her face however.

"It's Nikki," she breathed.

"Jack," he held his hand out for her to shake; not missing how she had looked around her suspiciously before taking hold of his hand.

Nikki gulped, the grip of his hand strong against hers. She could feel her cheeks colouring and she'd have shaken her head at herself had it not been for the fact she couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

Conscious that curtains would start twitching she pulled her hand back from his, giving her thanks before walking back into the house. Her back pressed against the door as she relaxed, now in the safety and privacy of her own home.

She hadn't been able to get her mind off him that night. The way his voice had sent a shiver down her spine, the way his hand fitted to hers. They had shared looks between them for weeks and she had tried to push her thoughts down, tried to put him to the back of her mind. She had a husband and a child to think about.

But it only got worse from there, talks on the doorstep soon turned to cups of tea in the kitchen. She had known that he had changed his route so hers would be the last house he'd come to, so he'd be able to sit with her longer.

She wasn't sure how she had let it get this far, perhaps it had been the way his eyes flicked to her lips every time she spoke. Or the way her skin would tingle every time his fingers brushed over hers when she passed the cup to him. Or maybe it had just been the fact he'd made her laugh for the first time in years. He would make her forget about the real world for those few hours in the morning.

Nothing had gone further than just those talks together until one evening she had heard a knock at the door. She had been in the middle of releasing her hair from its up-do, the soft curls bouncing on her shoulders as she walked to the door.

Turning the handle, her breath hitched as he was staring back at her.

Reaching out she grabbed hold of his hand, yanking him inside before any of her neighbours caught sight of him outside her house when he had no reason to be there.

Jack couldn't tear his eyes away from her, her blonde hair framing her face. His breathing heavy as his finger pushed one of the curls behind her ear. Nikki leaned into his touch, his palm flattening out to cup her cheek.

Nikki turned her face, her lips pressing into his hand. She had known why he was here. It had been building up for weeks. What had started out as innocent looks had turned into a burning fire of passion in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him and all she wished for was to be in his strong arms, making love to him.

It seemed as though she wasn't the only one with those thoughts as no time was wasted as he closed that gap between them, his lips capturing hers. At first it had been tender, gentle. Testing the waters. But as his mouth parted from hers, Nikki wanted nothing more than to feel it against hers once again. She made that move, making her intentions clearer as her hands pushed his jacket down his arms.

He was backing her into the wall, her back hitting against it with a thud; his hands untucking the cream blouse from her skirt. His hands snaking upwards, brushing over her bare skin. Nikki gasped at the sensation.

He had taken her there and then, making no effort to find a more comfortable place for such an occasion. They had been too desperate for each other.

They had carried on for months, stolen moments; sneaking around in the dark. Jack escaping in the early hours in the morning so as not to be caught by the neighbours. There had been one occasion he'd stayed. It had been an accident, he had allowed himself to fall asleep. He had woken to the sound of Nikki throwing up downstairs.

He was lighting a match to his cigarette as he walked into the kitchen, her face pale; the bags under her eyes looking as though they were weighing her down. He edged closer to her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he held her against him, a puff of smoke escaping his mouth.

Nikki reached up, taking the white stick between her fingers and stealing a drag for herself. The grey cloud falling from her lips making Jack feel weak at the knees. His lips crashed into hers, his hand cupping her cheek whilst his other moved over the curves of her body, causing her to chuckle into his mouth.

But she was pulling away from him, a hand on his chest, "Jack we need to talk," she managed to get out as his mouth peppered kisses along her jawline. "I think I'm pregnant." That had stopped him in his tracks.

He looked back at her, his face full of shock, "What?'

"I was the same with Lucy, I know what these symptoms mean," she bit down on her lip to stop the smile that was threatening to spread across her face. She shouldn't be happy, it was wrong on all accounts. Matt could come home any day and this affair would be over.

But she had fallen in love with Jack, hard. He was constantly on her mind and she was sure that he was her soulmate. He had been everything she had ever wished for and more.

Jack wanted to be happy, wanted to be overjoyed at the news. But he knew that there was nothing to celebrate, he wouldn't know the child. Not once her husband came home. He'd be thrown to the side and would only be able to admire from afar.

He didn't have chance to say anything as there was a knock at the door. Nikki parted from Jack in an instant, pushing him in the direction of the back door. Her heart was racing, their moment being broken. But that would be the least of her worries as she opened the door. She only had to take one look at their uniforms to know why they had been stood on her doorstep. Her hands had clutched her stomach as her knees crashed to the floor.

She hadn't loved him but the shock of it all had knocked her for six. She mourned for her husband whilst the child of another man grew inside of her.

Nikki kept her distance from Jack, at least for the first couple of weeks. But she knew that she was getting bigger and people would start wondering how she came to be in such a way with a dead husband. So they got married.

It had been a small affair and many people looked at them with raised eyebrows but they had not cared. Nikki had finally found the other half of her and she couldn't be happier.

Jack had found his soulmate and his best friend.

His hand rested on the small of her back whilst her head laid on his chest, their bodies moving to the sound of the music. Their daughter sat on the chair watching them dance, their son playing with his toys in the corner of the room, none the wiser.

She had been like a whirlwind and the last thing he had expected when he moved across the country was to fall in love but he wouldn't change it for the world. What had started from a few simple looks, had given Jack a wife and a family. His heart swelled at the thought.


End file.
